Dennis Cardoza

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to start and begin by thanking Chairman Wolf and the ranking member, Mr. Mollohan, for working with me on this amendment. I also want to thank Mr. Larsen of Washington and Ms. Hooley for offering this amendment with me today and for all of their hard work addressing the methamphetamine problem and its effect on children. I rise today to introduce this amendment to provide $5 million in authorized funding for the Drug Endangered Children Program. This program would provide grants to States for initiatives that help children move from homes in which drug abuse or production takes place and, instead, into safe, permanent homes. Funding the Drug Endangered Children Program would represent an important step towards helping develop new protocols for law enforcement and child welfare workers to address the special needs of these children displaced by family methamphetamine use, which is a growing problem. Mr. Chairman, I want to quickly tell you a story about a 12-year-old boy that recently came to see me here in the Capitol. He is from Stockton, California, in my district. His father was arrested for running a meth lab in their home garage, and his mom, a meth addict, abandoned him and his two brothers. In fact, she left them at a phone booth in the community of Stockton, told them that she would be back, and 2 days later, this young, 12-year-old boy took his two brothers to a local police station and turned themselves in to the police so that they could get food and get out of the cold climate that they were in for 2 days. The system was unable to handle this situation. As a result, he was separated from his two brothers, his only remaining links to his family that he once loved. He came to see me last year, and he sat in the cafeteria below this Chamber, and he leaned over to me, and he whispered, Congressman, I have had so much pain in my life. We can do better and we must do better to help these young children. By working with the chairman and his staff, we have reduced the dollar amount in the bill so that this amendment no longer affects the Census Bureau. Mr. Chairman, this program will make a real difference in the lives of children affected by meth and other drugs. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Hooley).

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman for accepting the amendment. I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen).

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, we have all heard the motto, ``If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.'' Last year the White House and congressional Republicans failed in their efforts to privatize Social Security. Democrats stood united in defending the program, and the American people saw the privatization effort for what it was, a dismantling of the Social Security safety net that has provided millions of seniors real independence in their retirement years. The American people were clear with Washington Republicans: Keep your hands off our Social Security. We thought they had gotten the message last year. Now, however, it appears that House Republicans want the privatization back on the table. Earlier this month the man most likely to lead the Republicans' Ways and Means Committee next year says it should be their top priority if they retain control of Congress to privatize Social Security. Is the Republican majority in this House really that out of touch? The American people have already rejected their risky privatization plan. Instead of dismantling a critical safety net for millions of Americans, House Republicans should join the Democrats in strengthening Social Security for the future. The time has come to protect Social Security.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is with the greatest pleasure that I rise today to honor Mr. Doyle Mooneyham upon his retirement from the United States Postal Service after nearly 50 years of dedicated service. In 1958, Doyle began his impressive career with the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier in Merced, California. Just a few years later, in 1961, Doyle was transferred to the Winton Post Office, in Winton, California where he has remained for the last 45 years. Throughout his extraordinary career, Doyle's work has clearly remained his priority. During his tenure with the Winton Post Office, Doyle has exemplified the unofficial U.S. Postal Service's motto as ``neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.'' Throughout his nearly 50 years of service, Doyle never used a sick day until he underwent hip replacement surgery in 2005. Even after taking a year off of work to recuperate, Doyle still has 2,926 hours of sick leave, the equivalent to a year and a half of work. This is quite a remarkable accomplishment that very few individuals achieve in their lifetime. It is truly reflective of Doyle's commitment to his work, the community and the United States Postal Service. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and privilege to join Doyle Mooneyham's family, co-workers and friends in recognizing his lifetime of service to our community, and to congratulate him on his retirement from the U.S. Postal Service. Our community benefits greatly from the splendid example that he has set throughout his career. It is with the greatest sincerity and respect that I ask my colleagues to join me in offering Mr. Doyle Mooneyham best wishes for continued success and happiness in the years ahead.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of Byrne-JAG funding for state and local anti-drug task forces. This program is critical to supporting the dedicated police officers combating the meth epidemic sweeping our nation. Methamphetamine is an extremely dangerous drug. In San Joaquin County, California, part of my congressional district, meth has been the most deadly drug for four years running. Even worse, the impact of meth spreads far beyond just the self destructive behavior of the meth addict. In the Central Valley, meth has resulted in higher crime rates, child abuse and neglect, and toxic waste released into the environment. The Byrne-JAG program should be an important part of any effective strategy to stop the devastating impact that methamphetamine use is having on our communities. Byrne funding supports anti-drug task forces that bring together federal, state, and local law enforcement and that have proven very effective in disrupting meth production and trafficking. In 2004 alone, Byrne-funded task forces seized 5,646 meth labs. The Administration's meth strategy released last week sets a goal of reducing the number of domestic meth labs by 25% by 2008. Now is not the time to eliminate a program that provides our local and state law enforcement with the resources to achieve this goal. I urge my colleagues in the Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Byrne-JAG program.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5403 sponsored by Mr. DeLay, and I would like to associate myself with Mr. Stark's remarks and that while we have not always agreed on every policy issue, there is no doubt that Mr. DeLay will be fondly remembered in this House for his tireless work on behalf of foster children and disadvantaged youth. I very much appreciate knowing him and the work we have done together. This is not our first effort to work together on a bill, and I appreciate Mr. DeLay and his work in this House. As Members on opposing sides of the political spectrum, we are coming together today to do fabulous work. As an adoptive parent myself of foster children, I have seen firsthand the glaring problems of the system currently facing this Nation. At any time, there are roughly 500,000 children in foster care in the United States, moving from placement to placement, often living out of a suitcase or even worse, the symbol of foster children, which is a black garbage bag, hoping that one day a loving family will welcome them into their home. H.R. 5403, Safe and Timely Interstate Placement of Foster Children Act, addresses one specific yet extremely important aspect of the system of adoption across State lines. Often an impediment to foster children's placement to permanent homes occurs when a child from one State is adopted by a family from another. The State where the family resides must complete a home study in order to verify that the placement is safe, secure and ready for the new child. Often, these types of home studies are a low priority for the State where the adoptive family resides and can lead to delays, often taking months and sometimes years to complete. This legislation that we are considering today would establish a 60- day deadline for completing an interstate home study. If the State completes the home study within 30 days, H.R. 5403 would authorize a monetary incentive for the completed study to be used for the adoption- related expenses. The children this bill seeks to help are already needy, neglected children without a voice who desperately want a permanent home, something that most all of us have always taken for granted. They want to go to school, the same school with the same friends for more than a few months. They want someone to tuck them in at night and help them with their homework. They want to stop living out of a black garbage bag that doubles as a suitcase and have a real home with a bed they can call their own. Over the years I have met numerous children from all over the country who are in various stages of foster care. I have heard great stories where children are reunited with their biological parents who are placed in loving, adoptive homes. But I have also heard of other stories that have just sickened me. One boy I met at a school for foster children in my district told me the story of his life that seems quite fitting to this debate. I met this young boy, and he had been placed in foster care at an early age and had been moved in and out of seven different foster homes up and down the State of California. As you can imagine, he grew jaded and resentful from the harsh life he was forced to live. He was also separated from brothers and sisters whom he loved very much. Finally, he was placed in a family that saw through his rough exterior and wanted to adopt him. This young boy was convinced that he had finally found a real home with devoted parents that he had always dreamed of. However, soon after he was placed with his family, the father in this foster family was transferred to North Carolina and the family was forced to move. Unfortunately, they couldn't get the paperwork processed between California and North Carolina in order to facilitate the adoption. So this young boy was left behind in California and is now residing in a group home. It is our job as Members of Congress to be a voice for these children and make sure their dreams are recognized. We owe it to them to streamline the adoption process and make Federal law work towards positive outcomes. If that means requiring a State to get their act in gear and complete timely home studies, then so be it. Thank you, Mr. DeLay, for the legislation. Thank you, Mr. Herger, for your work on this topic.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to be present for the following rollcall vote today due to a death in the family. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on H.R. 5122 (the National Defense Authorization Act).

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is with the greatest respect and admiration that I rise today to honor the late Mr. Joseph Garcia Saca. Joe was not only an endearing member of our community in Merced County, California, but he was a beloved member of my family. He was a very special and well respected man to many people, known for his gift of conversation, unwavering faith and positive approach to life. At the age of 84, Joseph Garcia Saca passed away on Thursday, May 4, 2006. Joe, a longtime resident of the Atwater/Winton area of Merced County, was born to the late John and Adeline Saca in Pico, Azores on August 11, 1921. At the age of 7, Joe arrived in the United States with his mother and late brother John. In the years that followed, Joe attended Fruitland Grammar School in Winton, met his wife Laura Maciel and married on May 14, 1944. To describe Joe's life as anything less than amazing would not suffice. Throughout his 84 blessed years, he participated in many successful business ventures throughout Merced County. He owned and operated the Arena Grocery Store in Livingston and was also a successful almond rancher for many years. In the 1950's Joe put his natural talent as a gifted conversationalist to work as a local talk show host for KYOS. In 1952, Joe established what would become his most memorable business--Kathy's Tot Shop in Atwater. Named after his daughter, the children's apparel store grew up with Kathy. Years later it was renamed to Kathy's Deb U Teens and specialized in teen clothing, and then in its last years it was simply Kathy's, selling women's wear until it was sold in 1977. Throughout his life, Joe was involved in many community organizations and activities. He held the position of past President of the Atwater Pentecost Association and the Atwater Chamber of Commerce, was a member of the Lion's Club and Knights of Columbus. He dedicated many hours of service as President of the St. Anthony's Parent's Club and in countless volunteer positions for St. Anthony's Church. He has certainly left behind a legacy of community service that is to be admired and followed. Joe is survived by his wife Laura with whom he shared 62 years of fulfilling happiness, and his three wonderful children and their spouses: Kathy and Wayne Jansen, Ron and Kathy Saca and Alan Saca. Known as ``Papa,'' Joe adored his grandchildren Laurie Havel and her husband Richard, Kori Lynn Jansen and Allyson, Gigi and Caroline Saca, and his only great grandchild Tyler Havel. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor and privilege to join my family and community in honoring the memory my dear cousin, Joseph Garcia Saca. He will be greatly missed by all.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Well, I want to thank the gentleman from Arkansas both for relinquishing of some time and also for the leadership that he has shown by hosting this hour for the Blue Dog Democrats each Tuesday night this year. Before I get started in my prepared remarks, I wanted to just acknowledge something that came to mind. The previous presiding officer, the gentleman that was acting as Speaker a few moments ago, is my former colleague from the legislature in California, a wonderful man, John Campbell. And it struck me that when we were in the legislature together in California, every year we had to balance the budget. We could not leave Sacramento, we had to stay in session until we had a balanced budget. It is so unfortunate that here in Washington, as we have both graduated up the ladder, that we don't have that same kind of fiscal accountability and the same responsibility. And sitting here with my colleague, Jim Costa, who used to be one of the leaders in the California State Senate, we took it very seriously. In fact, it was mandated in law that every year, and I believe almost every State in the country has to do that, but here in Washington, in our Nation's Capital, we cannot find the fiscal responsibility to balance our Nation's budget and get our fiscal house in order. The Blue Dog Coalition has made repeated calls for responsible budget reforms that will put our country back on this path of fiscal responsibility and fiscal sanity that I have discussed. As moderates and as fiscal hawks, we have tried to reach across the aisle to engage in real debate on fiscal responsibility. For years now, our appeals for commonsense, bipartisan reforms have been brushed aside by both the White House and this Republican leadership. Instead, this Republican Congress and the White House have pursued policies that have resulted in exploding deficits and over $8 trillion in debt. Rather than taking this fiscal mess seriously and putting forward a plan to change course, we are being fed more of the same in this year's budget. The Republican budget resolution is a rehashed version of misguided policies that have gotten us into this mess in the first place. It is said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over yet expecting different results. That is exactly how I feel about the Republican leadership's fiscal policies. No matter how deep they dig this fiscal hole, they want to keep shoveling, they want to keep digging; and we have to make it stop. The administration has requested and Congress has provided for four increases in the debt ceiling since 2001. This budget resolution does not fix the broken budget; it actually makes it worse. The Budget Committee passed a budget resolution that includes a deficit of $372 billion for the fiscal year 2006 and a deficit of $348 for 2007. This means that under this Congress and this White House, Republicans totally, we will have seen the five biggest budget deficits in American history in 5 consecutive years. Under this budget, the statutory debt by 2011 will go up another $2.3 trillion, leaving the statutory debt at a record level of $11.3 trillion. Ladies and gentlemen, this is unacceptable. The Blue Dog Coalition has put forth a comprehensive 12-step plan that is designed to cure our Nation's addiction to deficit spending. Our proposal will include commonsense measures such as reinstating the pay-as-you-go rules such as what you use to balance your own budget at home. Every American understands that they need to balance their own checkbook; so does America. These pay-as-you-go rules are the first step. In the 1990s with PAYGO rules on the books, we saw deficits disappear. We had record surpluses and rapid economic growth. In 2001, the Republican-controlled Congress abandoned PAYGO, and we have been awash in red ink ever since. It is time for Congress to bring back PAYGO and bring back some fiscal sanity for our country. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Ross for having us here tonight and thank him for his leadership.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of S. 2120, the Milk Regulatory Equity Act. For those familiar with dairy policy, there is never an easy fight in dairy policy, and this legislation is no different; it will be familiar. Throughout the years, there have been more obstacles thrown in the path of this worthy legislation than I can count. I am grateful to my friend and colleague, Devin Nunes, for his tireless leadership and pursuit of correcting this problem. I also want to thank Senator Feinstein and the chairman and ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee for their support in moving this legislation forward. Our dairy industry is extremely regulated and for good reason. Dairy products are both highly perishable and critical to the dietary requirements of Americans. Without a formal process for pricing, pooling and processing, the entire chain of production from producers through consumers is at risk. Dairy policy works because all players, including processors, producers, co-ops, distributors and buyers adhere to the same rules. Rules and regulations keep the dairy markets stable and allow orderly distribution of high-quality milk, cheese and butter products. This bill will close a dangerous loophole that allows a few large producer handlers to escape all these carefully crafted Federal and State regulatory requirements. It would require those operations physically located in a Federal order, but shipping entirely into a State order, to comply with the regulations governing dairy policy in the order where their plant is located. Do these individuals who are exploiting this loophole want to maintain it? Absolutely. However, due to the unique characteristics of a commodity like dairy, it cannot be allowed to continue. The foundation of this legislation is that all dairy organizations should be governed by the same rules. One group should not have an unfair competitive advantage over another. The Milk Regulatory Equity Act ensures production and price of milk is fair and equitable. This is an extremely important bill for my home State of California, but also for the entire country. History has shown that things that happen first in California then spread east. This loophole has the opportunity to affect every milk marketing order across the country. Let us stop it now before that happens. This is a good bill and one that deserves our support.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4882, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center Deadline Enforcement Act. I want to thank the chairman of the Committee on Resources, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), and also our ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), for their leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor. In 2003, Congress authorized the construction of a visitor center for the Vietnam Memorial to help provide information and educate the public about the memorial and the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, over the past three years, progress in selecting a location for the visitor's center has stalled due to bureaucratic red- tape. The legislation we are considering today will bring the site- selection process to a close by designating both a location for the center's construction and a deadline for its completion. I believe an Educational Visitors Center will serve as an important learning tool for the millions of visitors who visit the Wall each year, especially those too young to remember Vietnam. I strongly support this effort to at last make the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center a reality and I urge my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I was going to say, one of the things that I like about being a Blue Dog and fighting for fiscal responsibility with the Blue Dogs, we do not just criticize but we also have a plan. Mr. Matheson gave the first two planks in our 12-point plan to restore fiscal sanity to the United States, which is to have a balanced budget and don't let Congress buy on credit. We call it PAYGO, pay as you go. There are a number of other things that we have like the third plank in our plan is to put a lid on spending, to have a freeze on additional spending until we can get our fiscal house in order. Fourth, we require Federal agencies to put their fiscal house in order. As you said, 16 or 17 of the Federal departments cannot balance. They cannot even tell you where the money is going. The fifth plank of the plan is make Congress tell taxpayers how much they are spending in the bills we pass. We do not tell taxpayers how much we are continuing to authorize every year. The sixth point in the plan is we are going to require a rainy day fund so we set aside money for the natural disasters that befall our country on a regular basis. Number seven, and this is really important because we are getting ready to do this as we speak, and that is do not hide the vote to raise the debt limit. Right now under the rules of this House and in the Senate, we are going to raise the debt limit without taking a vote of this House on a recorded vote so each Member of Congress has to put their voting card in and be recorded on raising the debt limit. That is just not appropriate. Number 9 is to ensure that Congress reads the bills it is voting on. What a novel concept. We actually believe each bill should have to sit on the Speaker's desk for 3 days to give us time to prepare and actually know what is in legislation. It was 2 years ago that we passed the Medicare prescription drug bill. We got that bill 20 hours before we were voting on it and that bill was 680 pages, 678 pages long. I can tell you one thing for sure, no Member of Congress was able to read that bill and know what was in it. And that is probably why it cost the American people double what they told it was going to cost. The next plank is to justify pet projects. We believe that every earmark passed in this Congress should be justified by the Member of Congress that is asking. There should be a paragraph written about every request and that the Member should have to sign it and say they stand by that earmark. We would not have the scandals of Mr. Abramoff and all of the other problems that are befalling this Chamber if every Member had to justify their pet projects and earmarks. Number 10, we require an honest cost estimate for every bill. Number 11, be sure that every bill fits within the budget that we pass at the beginning of the year. We pass a budget, and we never look at it again. We continue to pass bills that most likely will not fit into that budget, so we just keep expanding the budget with every bill that comes through here after the budget is passed. The final plank is that we do a better job of oversight. Right now, Congress passes oversight and frankly, we never go back and look at what we have passed to make sure that it is doing the job that we intended when we passed that legislation. Those twelve points are just the first step in restoring fiscal accountability and making sure that we live within our means. As I said before, in September, I joined my colleagues in the Blue Dog Coalition in writing a letter asking President Bush to host an emergency bipartisan budget summit to put our Nation's fiscal house back in order. Unfortunately, our genuine effort to engage the Republicans in a reasonable discussion on the budget was brushed aside. We have yet to receive a response to our letter. I think even this White House should be able to pen a letter back to us in the months since we sent it to them. I know they have gotten it. We have talked to them about it on this floor. We have talked to our colleagues in this Chamber on a regular basis requesting cooperation to get together and work together to solve the problems facing this country, and we have not gotten a response.

Mr. CARDOZA. One of the things that you said that I want to dig in a little deeper to is it really precludes our options in times of crisis. If we were to have another September 11 hit tomorrow, and 2 weeks later another Hurricane Katrina hit someplace on the gulf coast, could we afford the $200 billion we spent after September 11 again on top of everything else? And would we be so willing or even able to bail out another gulf coast situation? We know that calamities are going to happen. In fact, that is one of the 12 points in our Blue Dog plan is to put away a rainy day fund because we know, as sure as the next drought or the next monsoon comes, the next rain storm, there will be another calamity that will befall us. It may be wildfires in the West or a flood in the Midwest. We have challenges that will continue to face our country, and, frankly, the world. And oftentimes the world looks to our country to solve these issues, like the tsunami and other things. But we are becoming stretched thinner all the time; and the point you raise, Mr. Matheson, on not being able to have the options because we are running out of dollars, is one that I think we have to think about as a country.

Mr. CARDOZA. We haven't heard about it, for sure.

Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, one of the things that my constituents ask me when I go home is how we got into this mess, and they say, well, it was just a few years ago in 1997, we actually started paying down the national debt. Then when Mr. Clinton left office in the year 2000, we were actually making good progress paying down the debt and we had 4 years a row in balance and paying down. But there is one very critical thing that happened in 2001, and that was that the PAYGO rules were suspended. Those rules were put in place by a bipartisan Congress in 1997, and those PAYGO rules said that you had to pay for what you spent, just like we have to do in our home budget. And if you were to spend more money, you had to either find a budget cut someplace, or you had to find tax revenues to pay for it. So for 4 years, on a bipartisan agreement negotiated between Newt Gingrich and President Clinton, the country lived within its means. Then in the year 2001, those rules were suspended. Since that has happened, we have amassed some of the biggest deficits in the history of our country, all financed, or virtually all financed, unfortunately, through deficit spending. And that is being financed by foreign governments. In fact, our colleague, John Tanner, is very often quoted as saying that we have borrowed more money from foreign governments in the last 5 years than in the rest of the history of the United States combined. In fact, he is also fond of saying that if we were going to have to go in, if there was a war between China and Taiwan, and we went in to defend Taiwan like our treaties obligate us to do, we would have to borrow the money from China to defend Taiwan against China. That is how crazy this system has now gotten. So we can see how dangerous this foreign obligation has become for our country. And I thank the gentleman for highlighting the budget problems in his speech, and I yield back.

Mr. CARDOZA. I believe if you take all the 20,000 throughout the entire State of Arkansas, it is about $800 million.

Mr. CARDOZA. The reality is that there is nearly $1 billion in trailers throughout Arkansas, half a billion dollars in your district. It is really wasted. Those trailers should be used for folks who are in flood zones and need them, not sitting sinking in the mud in Hope, Arkansas. So I appreciate you highlighting this fact once again. I appreciate those in the gallery being able to see the pictures of just wasted tax dollars, $1 billion in your home State, and thank you for having me here tonight, once again, and for leading this hour, and I will be happy to engage with you as we go on.

Mr. CARDOZA. Thank you, Mr. Ross. It is great to be here again with you as we talk about the fiscal challenges that face our country. I was glad to hear you talk about how the Blue Dog Coalition has tried to, in a bipartisan nature, work with the other side of the aisle to bring about some fiscal responsibility. In fact, the Blue Dog Coalition sent a letter to the Speaker and to the President asking for a bipartisan working group to try and get to the bottom of balancing the budget and dealing with this fiscal irresponsibility. We have yet to hear from the President. We would certainly like to sit down with him and discuss our ideas to bring fiscal accountability to our Nation's government. As moderates and fiscal hawks, the Blue Dogs are just trying to do the right thing for America. We are trying to get engaged in a real debate on fiscal responsibility because we need to return honesty and accountability to our Nation's finances. I am deeply concerned with the continued deficit spending and the complete disregard for fiscally responsible policies and really a fundamental dishonest budget process. The President's proposed $2.7 trillion budget will decrease domestic spending, yet still leave a massive $355 billion budget deficit for this fiscal year. But the $355 billion is not the whole story. The President's figure deliberately leaves out the cost of the effort of Iraq and Afghanistan and the potential future costs of rebuilding of the gulf region and fixing the alternative minimum tax that is plaguing more and more middle-class Americans every year. All of these issues that were left off the budget are all known costs that will drive up the deficit more than what has been stated in the President's document. Some would say that the President's budget is a nice break from reality television. The President's budget does nothing to make the Federal Government more accountable for taxpayer dollars. Every year, the President issues two vital budgeting documents, the budget and the financial report of the United States. You have heard of the first but probably not of the second, and why is it completely ignored? The budget is widely distributed to every Member of Congress and the national press. The financial report, however, is distributed to fewer than 20 Members of Congress with no press release. The budget says that the deficit is $319 billion in 2005, but the financial report says it was $760 billion, over twice as large as the budget that was distributed to all Members of Congress. The difference is that the budget uses a cash-based accounting which only the smallest businesses of America use because it hides future obligations, thus, painting a potentially unrealistic and misleading picture of the Federal Government's overall performance. According to David Walker, the comptroller of the General Accountability Office, his statement was that it is painting a potentially unrealistic and misleading picture of the Federal Government's overall performance. The financial report of America uses accrual accounting, the method required by law for every business in America with revenues over $5 million. The financial report takes into account future obligations of the Federal Government and presents a clearer, more understandable picture of Federal finances. So when Mr. Ross is talking about the problems in our budget process, that is one of the things that the Blue Dogs want to highlight is that the true deficit, as you have on your poster down there, is $760 billion for 2005, double what was in the President's budget. The Blue Dog coalition believes that both the House and Senate should use a more realistic financial report number for its budget, rather than budget numbers that we talk about because it is a truer accounting, and this is not even taking into consideration some of the other spending like we know we are going to have to spend to take care of some of the problems in Katrina and some of the devastated areas of the gulf coast. I really appreciate you taking me down to Hope, Arkansas, to the airport down there a few weeks ago to see these trailers. I do not know if you have talked about them tonight since I just came down on the floor.

Mr. CARDOZA. I just want to highlight that there is precedent to doing it a different way. During World War II, then-Senator Truman formed a commission that actually did an audit and went after wartime profiteers and, in fact, did a great job at getting to the bottom of the fact that there were people trying to profit irresponsibly on the backs of our soldiers during World War II. So he went in and got to the bottom of the overcharging and the contracting fraud and really cleaned up those who were trying to take advantage of the situation that the world found itself in. That is the kind of accountability that we need today, Mr. Ross, and I appreciate that you are bringing this up. It is not unpatriotic to question how our taxpayer dollars are being spent. In fact, if we don't waste our taxpayer dollars, then there is more money available to actually spend doing the right thing by our troops. Thank you for raising that issue.

Mr. CARDOZA. Would the gentleman yield?

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the amendment before us today calling for a global meth conference. I commend Mr. Baird for working to bring this amendment to the floor. The amendment closely mirrors the bipartisan ``Sense of the Congress'' resolution I introduced in November calling for an international methamphetamine conference to develop a global strategy to control the trafficking of meth and its precursor chemicals. I also would like to thank Chairman Souder of the Drug Policy Subcommittee for his support from the beginning of a global meth conference and his leadership on the Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act which is set to be signed into law as part of the PATRIOT Act. In my district in California's Central Valley, the meth epidemic has exacted a brutal toll on the environment, our children, and our communities. In the past 5 years alone, 15,000 children have been found at meth labs, not to mention the unknown number of children subjected to meth related domestic violence, abuse, and neglect. Mr. Chairman, controlling the global trade in meth and its precursor chemicals, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, is a critical part of any comprehensive strategy to fight the meth epidemic. A global meth conference is a logical next step that complements the international regulation provisions of the Meth Elimination Act. It is about time that we develop a worldwide strategy to reduce illegal trade in meth and its precursor chemicals and stop the devastating impact that methamphetamine use is having on our children and our communities. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the amendment.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as they celebrate the 97th anniversary of their inception. Since February 12, 1909, the NAACP has strived to promote their mission to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights for all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination. As the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the nation, the members of the NAACP have sought to remove all barriers of racial discrimination through non-violence and positive reinforcement. The NAACP won one of the nation's greatest legal victories--the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. The NAACP was also a prominent power that lobbied for the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, and 1964. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act were also achievements of this longstanding organization. In 2005, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People launched the Disaster Relief Fund to help Hurricane Katrina survivors in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, and Alabama rebuild their lives. Today the NAACP is a network of more than 2,200 affiliates covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Japan and Germany. As a Californian, it is with honor that I note that our state contains 72 branches and youth units. The perseverance demonstrated by members of the NAACP reflects the strength of this exceptional organization. Over the past 97 years, this national organization has provided communities around the United States with strong and passionate leaders who have fought for social change. I congratulate them on their successes and look forward to many more years of continued achievements in the future. I commend the NAACP and look forward to celebrating their centennial in 3 years.

Mr. CARDOZA

Mr. CARDOZA. It says that it must be the quickest possible.

Mr. CARDOZA. Correct.

Mr. CARDOZA. No, the underlying bill is 120 days.